Aladdin’s Castle: Century Plaza

Aladdin’s Castle, Century Plaza opened alongside Birmingham’s two‑level mall in 1975 and immediately set a new bar for Alabama game rooms: mirrored ceiling tiles, wall‑to‑wall red carpet, and a signature scent equal parts pizza grease and ozone from CRT monitors. Bhamwiki notes the branch first sat near JCPenney on the lower level before relocating closer to Sears during an ’80s refresh.

Pinball historians point to a May 29, 1980 Alabama Media Group photo of a young player tackling Gorgar as evidence of the arcade’s golden‑age popularity. Even after Namco’s mid‑90s takeover the Castle remained a weekend staple until Century Plaza’s slow decline; the arcade closed in the early 2000s, and the entire mall followed in 2009. Demolition crews made way for an Amazon logistics hub in 2020—yet a few surviving token keychains still circulate on Birmingham collector forums.

References

1. Bhamwiki – Century Plaza location history and managers
2. Alabama Digital Archives – 1980 photo of pinball at Century Plaza Aladdin’s Castle
3. International Arcade Museum – Century Plaza listing (closed)